By Karen Barone
Just a year ago, on March 12, as Penzes finished celebrating the 9 a.m. Mass, accused gunman Peter Troy, 35, pulled a rifle out from under his trench coat and fired six shots, killing Penzes and Tosner. Parishioner Gerry Denk wrestled the rifle away from Troy before anyone else was hurt.
Denk tried to restrain Troy, but Troy managing to break free and fled the church, heading down the street to his apartment at 56 Fowler Ave. There he barricaded himself for seven hours until the standoff ended with police officers storming the house and taking Troy into custody.
The events of that fateful morning shocked the Lynbrook community and sent the church and its parishioners into deep mourning. Over the following few months, as the church slowly tried to rebuild, its leadership continued to change.
At first Father William Singleton was sent by Bishop William Murphy to lead and help heal the church. Singleton came out of a six-year retirement to serve as interim pastor to the close-knit congregation. He, however, was replaced by Father Mark Rowan in June. Rowan had a close relationship with Penzes, having served as a chaplain in the Air Force with him, and Rowan had lived at the church while he was chaplain of the Nassau University Medical Center.
Accepting the position as pastor at OLP meant not only returning to the parish where he had served once before, but also serving on an altar where his friend had been slain. The memories proved too much for Rowan, and he tendered his resignation to a church full of stunned parishioners last July 7, after only two weeks.
The patient parishioners finally welcomed a new pastor, Father Bill Breslawski, last November. Breslawski described OLP as a community alive with spirit and vitality. "The level of wholehearted involvement in parish life is magnificent," he said. "I pray that the future of the parish will be filled with grace and blessing, and I look forward to being a part of it."
A year after the tragedy, there is still much to reflect on and look forward to. Memorials have been planned, preparations for Troy's trial have begun and gun legislation is moving forward.
In memoriam
To honor Penzes and Tosner's memory and to mark the first anniversary of the shootings, OLP is planning several services and events for March 12.
The Lynbrook Village Board of Trustees has approved a proposal to unofficially change the name of Fowler Avenue, on the east side of the church, to Father Larry Way. A ceremony to mark the tribute will be held March 12 at 9:45 a.m. at the intersection of Fowler Avenue and Merrick Road.
The church and its schoolchildren have several memorial services planned as well. The children will attend an afternoon prayer service and then march in procession through the church to the courtyard, where a tree will be planted in memory of Penzes.
"I think planting a tree is a beautiful idea," said parishioner Maria Johnson. "It will allow Father Larry's spirit to live on forever."
A special memorial Mass will be held on March 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Local, humble hero
Denk, an ex-marine, has been hailed as a hero since he tackled the gunman who fired a .22 rifle through the sacred air of OLP a year ago. Before Denk could reach Troy, he fired off two rounds, fatally injuring Penzes and Tosner. Police credited Denk with stopping what could have been a massacre.
Today, according to friends, Denk continues to be a devout Catholic attending Mass on a regular basis and avoids the spotlight at all costs. "Gerry is basically just a good guy," said a lifelong friend who didn't want to be identified. "If there were more people like Gerry, the world would be a beautiful place."
Denk was awarded the Town of Hempstead's Make a Difference Award last November. The honor recognizes residents who give of themselves to help others.
Fit to stand trial
A week ago, on Feb. 27, Troy was found competent to stand trial for the OLP slayings. Both a psychologist and a psychiatrist have determined that Troy, after undergoing psychiatric evaluation at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, is capable of helping his attorney, James McCormack, with his defense.
Troy is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, four counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, for allegedly stabbing a police officer who tried to arrest him after Troy fled the church.
Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and treated at psychiatric institutions before the shootings, Troy has only until March 7 to contest the findings. At press time, calls to his attorney had not been returned.
"If he does not contest the findings, the case will go forward to hearings and a trial," said Rick Hinshaw, spokesman for the Nassau County District Attorney's Office.
Troy is being held without bail at the Nassau County Correctional Center in East Meadow. Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon said he would not pursue the death penalty.
Stricter gun control
On the one-year anniversary of the murders of Penzes and Tosner, U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy will re-introduce the Our Lady of Peace Act to Congress. The bill, introduced last May, was passed by the House on Oct. 15. It moved to the Senate with bipartisan support and the backing of Senators Charles Schumer and Larry Craig (R-Idaho), but time ran out before it could be approved.
The legislation requires states to automate and provide information to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) regarding any individual who is barred from having a gun, including people who have been declared mentally defective or who have been committed to mental institutions.
"Mr. Troy should never have been able to buy a gun," said McCarthy in a phone interview. "A background check is only as good as the records provided to the system."
Troy, who spent time in a mental hospital, would have been barred from purchasing a gun, but the information about his mental health was not in the NICS at the time, according to McCarthy.
"Nearly 10,000 convicted felons did not get into the system because computers need to be updated to notify NICS. This bill can make a big difference," McCarthy said.
Scars slowly healing
OLP parishioner Stephanie Renkowski recalls running up to the altar on March 12 and praying over Penzes moments after he was struck by the bullet that ended his life. A soft-spoken, spiritual woman, Renkowski finds it hard to believe a year has passed.
"I think about it all the time, and every time I enter the church I look at that spot," she said. "I've even had dreams about Father Larry lately -- nice dreams."
Acknowledging the sensitive nature of the anniversary, Breslawski said, "The parish would like to commemorate this sad anniversary as quietly and privately as possible. The healing process seems to be going as well as can be expected, and we are trying our best to keep Father Larry's spirit alive in the community."
It is perhaps fitting that Penzes and Tosner will be memorialized during the Catholic Church's Lenten season, a time of sorrow and hope for renewal.
